The present disclosure relates to a display input device that displays an image such as a setting key and a method of controlling such a display input device. The present disclosure also relates to an image forming apparatus that incorporates a display input device.
In an image forming apparatus such as a multifunctional peripheral or a printer, a display input device is provided that includes a display portion which displays keys for operation and setting, an image and information and a touch panel for receiving inputs for operations and settings. In order to check the details of a job or the results of an output when a job is performed, the display input device may display a preview image.
As the image forming apparatus that displays such a preview image, an image forming apparatus is known that produces an image display, that performs image formation on a sheet based on image data and that generates and displays a screen including a thumbnail image based on image data included in a job and a preview image indicating a paper ejection image based on the image data included in the job. In this way, a thumbnail image in each page included in a job and a preview image are simultaneously displayed.
For an image forming apparatus, a large number (for example, several tens to several hundreds) of setting items with which selection and setting can be performed in utilization of the individual functions (such as copying and the reading of an original document) are prepared. Hence, in the setting, an omission or an error may occur. When a setting omission or a setting error occurs in a job, the job that has been performed is useless.
A configuration may be adopted such that it is possible to check whether appropriate settings for avoiding such a waste and obtaining results corresponding to the intension of a user are made. Specifically, a preview image reflecting all setting values set by the user may be displayed before the start of a job. The user watches the preview image to check whether there is a setting omission or a setting error, and thereby can check whether or not there is a problem in an output result.
Here, when the preview image is checked, and a setting error or a setting omission is found, it is bothersome and time-consuming to reset the setting values in a conventional manner. Specifically, when the resetting is performed, it is bothersome and time-consuming to perform operations as follows: (1) the interruption of the display of the preview image→(2) the change to the selection screen of a setting item that is desired to be set→(3) the selection of the setting item and the setting of a setting value on a setting screen displayed→(4) the redisplay of a preview image reflecting the setting value that has been reset. Furthermore, when a setting error or a setting omission is found again, the above items (1) to (4) are repeated. As described above, when a preview image is displayed, it disadvantageously takes much time to complete the setting.
Conventionally, in a display input device, only one sheet of a preview image is displayed. Conventionally, only a preview image reflecting all setting values that have been set is displayed. Since in an operation of selecting a setting item and setting a setting value, no preview image is displayed, it is difficult to find, during the setting operation, whether the selection of the setting item (function) and the setting of the setting value are being performed according to the intension. In other words, it is disadvantageously difficult to expect what results are produced by a job through setting of the setting value and the meaning and the effect of the setting item and the setting value. In particular, it is difficult to recall it when a first-time setting item or an unfamiliar setting item is used.
In the technology described above, a thumbnail image of a plurality of pages included in a job and one sheet of a preview image are only displayed simultaneously. The thumbnail image indicates only the details of the page. In order to change the setting value for the setting item (function), it is necessary to interrupt the display of the preview image, to perform, again, the selection of a setting item and the setting of a setting value and to display a preview image again. Hence, in the technology described above, it is impossible to solve the above problem in the display of the preview image.